


The Wedding

by QueenOfTheMerryMen



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Exes, F/M, Getting Back Together, Outlaw Queen - Freeform, Second Chances, lovefromoq
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-10-28 06:30:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17782346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOfTheMerryMen/pseuds/QueenOfTheMerryMen
Summary: Four years ago, Regina Mills walked out of Robin Locksely's life forever. Now a successful chef with a catering business he's shocked to discover he's been hired to cater her wedding to one of the city's most eligible bachelors. Deciding to suck it up for the cash, he prays to get through the day with as little drama as possible. All that changes when he comes face to face with the love of his life again.





	1. Chapter 1

Of all the weddings in the world he had to cater hers. 

When his partner told him they’d been hired for the Mills - Blanchard wedding, he’d flinched. For the first time in years her name - and face - flew through his head. Like always he went straight to that last night. The one where he told her he’d dropped out of school...and waited two months before letting her know. The hurt and anger in her eyes that night never left his memory. Neither had the sound of the door slamming as she’d walked out of his apartment, and life, forever. 

He told himself he was being paranoid. Mills was a fairly common name. It probably wasn’t her, there was no need to get worked up over the most unlikely possibility. And yet, he continued to let Sabine handle all the client work. He never met with the bride and groom, he wasn’t even present for the tasting of the meals he’d so carefully planned for their choosing. (They went with braised lamb with an option of pan-fried salmon paired with mashed sweet potatoes and wild rice. Not his most creative work but a solid crowd pleaser.) He avoided the Mill-Blanchard wedding, all the time doubting that it would be her but so deeply fearing that it would be. 

If he was smarter, he would’ve trusted his gut and refused to cater the wedding. He and Sabine had a firm rule that either of them could veto any client if they deemed it necessary but he didn’t want to do that. He had child support payments and a future mortgage hanging over his head and he knew that she was saving up for a wedding of her own. They needed the work. Plus, they were being paid quite handsomely for it. The down payment alone had more zeros than he’d ever seen on a check before. The wedding was clearly a high society event. If they did well at there, it would undoubtedly lead to more - better paying - work in the future. So he’d sucked it up. 

The closer the day of the wedding got, the more his gut turned and twisted desperately warning him of what he already knew. He actively ignored it. It couldn’t be her wedding. The universe had already been cruel enough to let him lose her. It couldn’t force him to watch her marry someone else as well. It would be torture of the highest order. 

The day of the wedding, he spotted her in the first five minutes. 

It was like fate had abandoned all subtlety and decided to take a pipe to his knees instead. 

He’d decided to drive the equipment and dishes over early so there would be no chance of them starting dinner late. As he loaded the dishwarmers from the van and onto a loading cart the wind gently blew, he looked to his left and there she was. 

She stepped out of her limo and he froze in place, stunned. She looked beautiful. Her hair, still thick and raven, fell down to her shoulders in loose, shiny curls. She rarely wore them when they were together but he’d loved those curls. Every time she’d stepped out of the shower and reached for the blow dryer she used to banish them he’d wanted to scream in protest. Those curls were one of his favorite sights in the world. He’d know them anywhere. He’d know her anywhere. 

She was dressed in an all-white tracksuit, with “BRIDE” bedazzled on the back of the jacket in silver plastic gems and sunglasses covering her memorably expressive eyes. He couldn’t help the smirk that tugged on his lips. He wanted to meet whoever convinced her wear that audacious get-up. She never would’ve worn it on her own. 

He didn’t know how long he was staring at her. It felt like hours but he knew it couldn’t have been more than a minute or so. And yet, his gaze must’ve been stronger than he thought because she turned to look at him. Like magic, her head turned in his direction and even with those huge glasses on he knew her eyes landed right on him. He could feel it. His gaze might’ve been powerful enough to gain her attention but hers shot straight through to his heart, leaving a throbbing wound in his chest as she subtly clenched her jaw. A second later and she disappeared from view, hidden behind what appeared to be five bridesmaids dressed in lavender tracksuits clearly meant to be lesser copies of hers. 

He watched them disappear through the front doors of the hotel and sucked in a deep breath. 

_ You have a job to do _ , he silently reminded himself.  _ Do it and go.  _

Loading up the rest of the equipment and gripping the cart handle a little tighter than necessary, he made his way over to the garden, all the while silently repeating a mantra he’d hoped he’d never need again. 

_ She’s not yours anymore. She’s not yours anymore.  _

\------------------

It was going to be a beautiful wedding. Even he could see that and he wasn’t usually tuned into that sort of thing. The flowers were beautiful, perfectly accenting the tablecloths and dishware.The garden was beautiful, basking in the sunlight that was quite unusual for this time of year. The lavender petals sprinkled everywhere - on the chairs, the tables, the aisles - were beautiful too. One drifted against his pant leg. Staring down at it he was reminded that lavender was always one of her favorite colors. 

Everything was perfect. 

It made him want to vomit. 

He told himself not to think of her but that was foolish and impossible. She was everywhere. He could see her in the flowers - hydrangeas, her grandmother’s favorite. In the garden - she’d always said she wanted an outdoor wedding. Even in the meal that he’d cooked - he’d forgotten how much she’d loved braised lamb, she’d actually ordered it on their third date. 

Less than an hour in and it was already too much for him to bear. He shook down one of his busboys for their last cigarette and escaped to the pool area, wondering how long he could go missing before Sabine noticed. Five minute, ten tops. Good, that was all he needed. Just five minutes to clear his head of her and temper his urges with cancer on a stick. 

Taking up residence in the shade of a nearby tree, he clumsy sparked the lighter his busboy had handed over along with the cigarette. It’d been six years since he’d last smoked. She’d actually been the one to convince him to quit. 

_ For fuck’s sake _ , he thought to himself. He couldn’t even smoke without thinking about her. 

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he banished her from his thoughts once more before sticking the cigarette in his mouth and holding a flame against its end. Taking a long drag, he held the smoke in his lungs, allowing the familiar sensation of nicotine flow through his body. Gently falling against the side of the tree he exhaled sending the smoke into the air. All he had to do was get through this day. Stick to the serving area, don’t venture into the reception and he’d get through it. It would all work out as long as he didn’t see her. 

“Robin?” 

Instinctively, he hid his cigarette behind his back. That voice was unmistakable. His head whipped to the right and there she was. 

“Regina.” 

The sunglasses were gone. He was staring into her eyes for the first time in four years. They hadn’t changed. They still said every word she dared not to speak aloud, highlighted every emotion she tried to keep hidden. In this case, disbelief. 

She stared at him, an unexpected smile appearing on her face. She gently huffed, surprised, before saying, “I thought that was you earlier.” 

“Hi,” he dumbly replied, still in awe of the fact that she was actually standing in front of him. Back in his life, even if only for a day. 

She scrunched her nose. “Are you smoking?” 

He pressed his lips together, prepared to shake his head and lie. Then he spied the engagement ring on her left hand. 

_ She’s not yours anymore.  _

_ Why hide it?  _

He sighed, pulling the cigarette from behind his back. “Yeah… it’s been a stressful day.” 

She nodded understandingly. “I know the feeling.” Her thumb rubbed against the ring on her finger as she stepped closer to him, longing in her eyes as she stared at the cigarette in his hand. “Would it be ridiculous to ask you to share?” 

It would be. For a multitude of reasons, none of which registered as he passed the cigarette over to her. “Not as if I can say no. You are the bride, after all.” 

Something flashed behind her eyes when he said that. Perhaps hesitation about smoking. Unable to look away, he watched as she wrapped her bare lips around the cigarette taking a long drag of it. His eyes focused on her mouth. It’d been six years since he’d last smoked a cigarette but only four since he’d last kissed those lips. He briefly wondered, if the second sensation would be as familiar as the first if he experienced it one more time. 

He resisted the urge to scream when he realized that her hair was up in rollers. Once again, she’d banished the curls for a straighter look. A travesty. 

She passed the cigarette back to him, coughing a little as she did so. 

He smiled. “Been that long, huh?” 

“Almost seven years,” she replied, eyeing him accusingly. “I always knew you’d turn me back into a smoker.” 

A chuckle escaped him as he’d remembered those first few weeks after they’d met. Her asking him to leave the room every time he smoked, walking around with nicotine patches on her arm. When he’d finally dared to ask her out, she gave him a choice. A single date with her or a lifetime with smoking. He’d never made an easier decision in his life. 

“For the record, this is my first one in six years,” he pointed out. “I had to threaten a busboy to get it.” 

“Poor you,” she said, sarcastically pouting. 

He smiled, remembering just how cute she could be when she decided to tease him. Then he remembered why they were both here. Snuffing out the cigarette against the bark of the tree, he nodded. “So… you’re getting married?” 

“Yep,” she said, popping her lips on the “p.” A tight, forced smile appeared on her face. “And you’re working at my wedding?” 

“Catering,” he quickly corrected, not wanting her to think he was a waiter or just a helping hand. “I started the business a few years ago with a friend. It’s going well.” 

“Clearly,” she softly, replied nodding her head. She averted her gaze toward the pool and he knew she was thinking of that last night, of that last argument when he’d told her what he’d wanted to do with his life and how impractical she’d told him it was. She hadn’t been wrong. Getting things started in the food industry had been rough but being in any other business would’ve killed his soul. Especially if that business was law. 

“How’s the groom?” he asked. “Tall, dark and handsome?” 

A blush rose to her cheeks as she bowed her head and crossed her arms. “Not exactly,” she mumbled. “Leo is… quite successful. A decent father too. My mother likes him.” 

Robin pinched his eyebrows together. She listed off these details matter-of-factly, just like she would a case she was prepping for mock-court when they were in school. She noticed the concern in his eyes and pulled her smile tighter. “He’s a good fit for me.” 

Jesus Christ. It’d been years since he’d seen her, yet so little had changed. Her smile still said “everything is okay” while her eyes screamed “help me.” 

Sticking his hands in his pockets, he resisted the urge to interrogate her, ask question after question about this Leo guy, why she was marrying him, who she was doing this for because it seemed clear to him that she wasn’t doing it for herself. Her mother’s approval set off an alarm in his head. From what he could remember, her mother didn’t approve of much, especially not her taste in romantic partners. 

_ She’s not yours anymore.  _

The mantra ran through his head, reminding him of his place. They weren’t together anymore. She knew her own life better than he did, and whatever choices she made were her business. He wasn’t her hero. It wasn’t his job or his right to rescue her anymore. It never was. 

“Well…” he mumbled. “It looks like it’s gonna be a beautiful wedding.” 

“Thank you,” she softly replied. A small breath passed through her lips, before she tilted her head back toward the hotel. “I should get back there before they start to worry.” 

He nodded in agreement, squashing down his desperate need for her to stay. 

With a gleam of disappointment in her eye, she turned away from him wringing her hands as walked away. Watching her, seeing the doubt in her movements, he couldn’t help calling out to her.

“Hey… if you change your mind my car’s gassed up.” 

It was meant to be a joke, a small attempt to bring some levity back to an otherwise heavy moment. But the way she’d turned back to look at him, the initial incredulity plastered across her face at his words gave him pause. For a moment, he was scared that he’d offended her. Then her disbelief gave way to laughter, a bright, easy smile returned to her face and his heart thumped in his chest. 

That smile could melt ice. He was happy to see it again. 

So he walked away feeling a little bit lighter about the day ahead, not realizing what he’d just set in motion. 

\---------------------------

It wasn’t long before the guests started to arrive. A string quartet started to softly play as they all made their way to the seating area. Robin wasn’t close enough to recognize any of them but he was sure he would if given the chance. It wasn’t like he wanted to see anyone though. Frankly, he was just glad the ceremony was close to starting. He didn’t want this day to drag on. It was painful enough. He was already brainstorming excuses to leave early as he worked. He knew Tiana was stressed out about everything going well but he didn’t want to stay here any longer than necessary. He just wanted to get through dinner, maybe swipe a bottle of champagne and have a drink by himself once he got home. 

He didn’t want to invite any drama. 

Unfortunately for him, it’s impossible to have a wedding without one. 

Word that the ceremony was behind schedule was the first thing to tip him off. He knew weddings almost never ran on time but this time something was different he knew it. When it was twenty minutes later and no one had made it down the aisle yet, his gut twisted. Excusing himself from the kitchen area, he headed into the hotel to use the bathroom. He’d barely made it through the glass doors when he heard her say his name. 

“Robin?” 

She looked like something out of a dream. Her hair was swept up in an elegant updo. Her lips were painted a soft pink and her eyelashes exaggerated by eyeliner. A drop pearl necklace hung against her chest, drawing attention to the sweetheart neckline of her white wedding dress. It clung to her curves, before flaring out at the bottom like a mermaid’s tale. She looked absolutely gorgeous, if not completely terrified. Fear trembled in her eyes as she reached out to him. 

“You said your car was gassed up… Did you mean it?” 


	2. Chapter 2

This wasn’t supposed to happen. 

She wasn’t supposed to do this. 

Sitting in the passenger seat of Robin’s catering truck, Regina tried to steady her breathing. An easier feat than she imagined. The more miles she put between her and that wedding, the calmer she felt. This was crazy. It was unimaginable. It was… right. 

She hadn’t wanted to marry Leo. She barely even liked him. Allowing him to slip a five carat ring on her finger was the worst decision she’d ever made. She’d felt shackled to him the minute it touched her skin. Realizing she was still wearing it she hastily took it off, feeling ten pounds lighter the moment it left her hand. 

Still holding it between her fingers, she realized she didn’t know what to do with it now. She supposed the right thing to do would be to hold onto it while she made arrangements to send it back to Leo. The thought of it turned her stomach. She didn’t want to keep it any longer. She wanted to throw it out onto the highway. She probably should. It’s not like Leo would ever miss it. The ring was expensive for sure but it was hardly a drop in the water for a man with his wealth. No, throwing it away, though cathartic, felt wasteful and petty. She debated leaving it on the dashboard while she thought about what to do with it but Robin might notice it. 

Oh… Robin. 

The other thing that shouldn’t have happened. 

He was sitting in the driver’s seat, both hands glued to the steering wheel with his blue-eyes laser-focused on the road in front of him. She could tell there were a million thoughts going through his head. Hell, there were a million thoughts going through her own. But the biggest one was… why today? After four years of no contact, no sightings or even whispers of him, why does she see him - Robin Locksely, the love of her life - today? 

Was it fate? Luck? Coincidence? 

Whatever it was she’s grateful. The moment she saw Robin the fog that had swarmed around her finally cleared. She saw herself - her life, her relationship - with open eyes for the first time in years. She was glad she left. 

But she didn’t know if she could say the same about Robin. 

When she’d asked him to take her away, he hadn’t said a word. He’d simply nodded and grabbed her hand. Before either of them knew it they were rushing toward the catering van - her trying not trip over her own dress, him mumbling about how someone named Sabine was going to kill him - and pulling out of the parking lot. Neither of them had spoken since they put the wedding in their rearview mirror. What could they possibly say? 

She supposed they must look like quite a sight. Him, in his black chef’s outfit next to her, still in her wedding gown, barrelling down the highway in a catering van. It was like something out of a movie. 

They flew past a sign and she noticed just how far they’d traveled in the last ten minutes. Finally, she begins to wonder where the hell they plan to go. 

\------------------

There’s no place like home. 

If you’re lucky, your home is a safe haven. A refuge from the outside world where you can escape the monotony of the everyday life, shed the mask society forces you to wear and finally be yourself. It can be a place of warmth and love and familiarity. 

Robin was between homes at the moment. His apartment was simply a place to stay in his eyes. Four walls and a roof to keep him safe while he searched for his new home. Still he could think of no other place to go after rescuing a bride from her own wedding, which he was catering. 

Pulling into his parking garage, he felt his phone buzz for the hundredth time since they’d left the wedding. He didn’t even need to look to know who it was. Sabine was going to murder him. He’d abandoned her at a wedding that he’d ruined. After this whole debacle no one would ever book them again, not in high society at least. He made a mental note to call her as soon as possible knowing that wouldn’t be soon at all. He had a much more pressing matter at hand. 

Swiftly climbing out of the van, he realized that Regina was having a rougher time exiting the vehicle. A wedding dress isn’t the easiest thing to move around in and it certainly showed as she tried to step down on her own. Cantering over to her side of the car, he offered her his hand. His heart fluttered when she grabbed it, briefly feeling her skin against his. 

As they headed up to his apartment, he found himself a little nervous about bringing her home. It wasn’t as if he’d had time to prep for her arrival. He was certain there were dirty dishes in the sink and socks on the floor, not to mention the unmade bed in his room. Not that he expected her to be in the bedroom at all. 

He studied her as she walked into his apartment, her pristine, elegant wedding dress standing out against the chaotic mess he hadn’t cleaned up yet. Her eyes drifted from corner to corner, taking it all in. She let out a soft chuckle when her gaze landed on the living room, noticing a pair of his old boots. Turning to him, with a timid smile, she pointed out, “You still leave your shoes under the coffee table.” 

He shrugged. “Makes sense if you take them off while you’re on the couch.” 

She nodded, her smile fading as she stared at him. “Robin, I…” 

“It’s okay,” he cut her off. “I don’t regret a thing.” 

How could he? No matter what happened next, at least he’d gotten Regina Mills back in his life. For how long, he didn’t know. But he’d take whatever he could get. 

She shrugs, helplessly. “I don’t know what happens now.” 

Her voice wavers as she speaks and he realizes how terrified she must be. There’s not exactly a roadmap to this situation and he is not smooth enough to pretend as though he has one. So he keeps it simple. 

“Let’s start with the basics,” he suggests. “Do you want to change?” 

“Yes,” she hisses, nodding her head with relief at the idea. “But my clothes… they’re back at the hotel.” 

“You can borrow some of mine,” he calmly offers. “They won’t fit great but they’re better than a wedding dress, I promise you.” 

She hesitates before nodding. “Okay.” 

\---------------------

Standing in Robin’s bathroom, Regina looks at herself in the mirror. She’s never looked more beautiful. At least, that’s what her mother had said. She wasn’t wrong exactly. Even with the fear in her eyes overpowering everything else, the makeup artist had earned their pay. They’d covered her flaws and enhanced her blessings. The hair stylist had succeeded in making her look regal, yet modern. The dress was amazing, any woman would be happy to wear it. Any woman accept her that is. 

Looking in the mirror, Regina didn’t feel like she was the woman stared back at her. The woman in the mirror was perfect. The perfect daughter, the perfect fiance, the perfect student. She would never raise her voice in objection to anyone’s desires. Never stray from the path that was laid out in front of her. She would never put up a fight, never scream in frustration or anger. She was a blank canvas, ready to be painted by whoever picked up the brush. 

Regina knew the woman in the mirror well. And she didn’t want to be her any more. 

She started with the hair. It was difficult. Her stylist had practically used magic to keep it all together. Or a shit-ton of pins. It was hell finding them all but one by one she pulled them out, each time letting a lock of straightened hair fall down to her shoulders. She let the pins drop to the floor, relishing the clang sound they make as they fall against the gray tile. When they’re all gone, she shakes out her hair, running her fingers through it. This is how she’d wanted to wear her heard - flowing and free- before her mother had convinced her it wasn’t serious enough for the wedding she didn’t want. 

The jewelry went next. She smiled as she took off those stupid dropped pearl earrings and necklace. They’d aged the hell out of her. She’d never liked them. After a moment of contemplation, she tossed them both in the trash next to Robin’s toilet. They’d been bought specifically for the wedding and she’d be happy if she never saw them again. 

Sighing, she looked down at her dress. This would be tough. It took two people to get her in it. She doubted she could squeeze out of it by herself. Tugging at the bodice, she softly growled in frustration as it refused to move. Turning to look at her back through the mirror she spied the zipper and huffed when she realized she couldn’t reach it. For a moment she considered asking Robin for help but then she saw the scissors sitting on his shelf. Before she could stop herself she’d started hacking away at the bodice of her dress. Between his drugstore scissors and the dress’ top shelf fabric she was in for a struggle but that didn’t stop her. She breathlessly laughed as she roughly cut down the front of her dress, careful not to slice her own skin. When the fabric gave way, she sucked in a deep breath finally feeling like she could breathe. With one hand on either side she ripped at the tear, until the split traveled down to her waist and she stepped out of it, reborn. 

In nothing but her bra and panties, hair falling to her shoulders, Regina looked in the mirror. She didn’t recognize the woman she saw. She looked tired and feral. She couldn’t wait to know her. 

\---------------------

After scrambling to clean his apartment while Regina changed into his old sweats, Robin finally forced himself to open Sabine’s messages. The voicemails started out irritated before turning concerned, then rounding the corner back to pissed. Her text messages weren’t much better. She was wondering where he was. In all caps, no less. Shit. Shit. Shit. Swallowing his guilt, he finally texted her back. 

**_I had to go home._ **

Her reply came within seconds. 

**_ARE YOU SERIOUS??? WHY??!!_ **

He bit his lip thinking of everything that had happened in the last two hours, then everything he’d gone through in the last six years and before. 

**_It’s a long story._ **

The door to the bathroom opened right as he pressed send and Regina walked out, no longer in her wedding dress. She was wearing an old t-shirt and a pair of flannel pajama pants that he’d lent her. Her hair was loose and her jewelry was gone. The makeup she’d worn had been expertly scrubbed off. Subtly looking her up and down, he thought to himself that the bride version of her had been beautiful but this was the woman he’d fallen in love. Memories of spontaneous sleepover came alive in head, nights where she’d end up borrowing his clothes and studying in bed while he pretended to read while staring at her out of the corner of his eye. Looking at her now was like stepping back in time. 

“Thanks for the clothes,” she mumbled, self consciously running a hand through her hair. 

He set his phone down on the kitchen counter, unable to pay attention to anything other than her. “Do you feel better?” 

“Yes, actually,” she sighed, a little surprised. Looking around, she added, “Still not quite sure what to do next though.” 

“Well, what do you want to do?” 

She stayed silent for a moment, thinking it over. He held his breath waiting for her to answer. 

“I think… I want to sleep,” she whispered, exhaustion in her words. “It feels like a really long time since I’ve been able to.” 

He nodded his head, knowing exactly what she meant. It’d been a long time since he’d really slept too. A good sleep. The type of sleep you can only get when your worries are small and your bed is comfortable. He hadn’t a sleep like that in months. 

“You can take my bed,” he said, nodding toward the bedroom. “I’ll take the couch.” 

Wouldn’t be the first time he lost his bed over a woman. She moved toward the bedroom door before spinning on her heel and looking back at him with imploring eyes. “Can you… sleep next to me? Like you used to?” 

He knew he should say no. It was an emotional situation, there was a strong chance that she wasn’t thinking clearly. A better man would’ve refused. But he wasn’t better. Not that day. 

He followed her into the bedroom, taking off his chef’s jacket, letting it fall to the floor to reveal the plain white tee underneath. She climbed into his bed, beneath his blankets and he joined her, heart thumping in his chest as he did so. His arm instinctively went around her waist as she laid on her side, letting her hand fall over his. Breathing in her scent, he noticed that she smelled different, like lilac perfume and perhaps a hint of leftover cigarette ash from their moment at the pool. He didn’t mind it. Not even a little. He’d missed her too much. 

He did nothing but hold her. Wrapped his arm around, held her close and felt the rhythm of her body breathing in and out. He let that rhythm drift him off to sleep, knowing she was doing the same. 

On the counter his phone continued to buzz. 


	3. Chapter 3

When Regina woke up it was night. She could hear the sounds of the city through the window, see the glow of the moon when she opened her eyes.

She must’ve slept for hours. It felt good. The first moment after she woke she marveled at how well-rested she felt. Then she remembered everything. 

Her engagement, the wedding, Robin. 

Her heart sped up, when she noticed the weight of his arm across her middle and the heat of his breath against the back of her neck. Oh god. She’d stood her fiance up at the altar and ran away with Robin Locksely. Clamping her hand over her mouth, she stifled a panicked giggle. The last thing she wanted to do was wake him up with her laughter. 

Taking a deep breath, she tried not freak out but that was impossible. This was crazy. She’d left her wedding. Her $50,000, 250-guest wedding. And all because she’d caught a single glimpse of college boyfriend two hours before the ceremony. Her mother must be having a heart attack. 

Oh god, her mother. 

Her giggles evaporated at the thought of her mother, Cora, who’d been cheerleading her relationship ever since Leo had cornered her at a work event.  Cora, who’d told her not to turn up her nose at a man with his portfolio. Cora, who’d invited Leo to every family and society function, allowing Regina no escape from him. Cora, who’d constantly reminded her of the debts she’d racked up since her father’s death. Of the mortgage and student loans that ate up most of her mother’s savings and the bank threatening to steal away her childhood home. It’d been Cora, who said it was her turn to be the adult, to make sacrifices and ensure their family’s future. 

She realized that she was running from her mother just as much as she was running from the wedding. 

In his sleep Robin pulled her closer and she let him. Resting her head against the pillow, she realized she felt safe for the first time in weeks. She didn’t want to leave this bed. She didn’t want to leave him. 

Gently turning in his arms, careful enough not to wake him, she studied his sleeping face. It was different than she remembered. A layer of scruff surrounded his jaw, crinkles had started to grow near the edges of his eyes. They were closed now but still as blue as she remembered. She couldn’t help thinking that he was a man now, not the boy she’d been in love with six years ago. She hoped that was a good thing. 

The boy she’d loved had been exciting, charming and caring. He’d convinced her to try new things, taught her what real passion and love felt like. She thought they were going to spend the rest of their lives together. But near the end he’d grown inconsiderate, secretive… unhappy. She never quite believed him when he said she wasn’t the problem. Not when he’d kept her at arms length. Hid things from her. 

That night when she found out that he’d dropped out without even talking to her about it, that had been the final straw.

Not a day went by where she didn’t wonder if she’d made the right choice. 

Perhaps today was the day, she’d finally find out. 

Robin stirred in her arms, blinking as he woke up. A dreamy smile appeared on his face when he saw that she was still there. 

“Hi,” he whispered. 

“Hi.” 

His hand caressed her skin and her heart thumped at his touch. She'd forgotten how much she missed this. Being touched, being vulnerable, sharing intimacy without sex. It'd been too long.   


“Are you hungry?” he asked. 

“Starving.” 

\------------------------------

She loved watching Robin cook. 

Like an artist he worked with color - green onions, red bell peppers, yellow eggs.  Nothing he made was boring. Sitting at the kitchen counter, she watched as he chopped his ingredients, concentrating on nothing else. Tossing them into a pan with a little oil and paprika, he cooked them until they softened then covered them with beaten eggs. Not once did he look up from what he was doing, not even to look at her. When he was cooking nothing mattered to him outside of the meal he created. It’d always been that way, even when they were together. 

He set an omelet down in front of her and she took a bite. Flavor exploded in her mouth and she held back a moan. Smiling at him, she said, “You know, no one ever fed me like you did.” 

He smirked and she knew he was remembering all the times he’d cooked for her in college. Grilled cheese sandwiches for study sessions, vegetarian omelets the mornings after she stayed over and romantic dinners on special occasions. It hadn’t stopped there, either. Every once in a while, when he’d scraped enough money together for a night out, he’d take her to dinner. Always at a different place, every one of them with extraordinary food. Bistros, food trucks, holes-in-the-wall. She always let him pick, knowing she’d never be disappointed no matter where they went. She’d gained ten pounds while they were together and hadn’t even cared. 

Leo had never fed her like that. Always concerned about the inches on her waistline, he probably would’ve preferred it if she never ate at all. 

Yet another reason their marriage never would’ve worked. 

She wondered how long she would think about him. How long she’d keep going over the reasons why she was right to leave how she did. She was right to leave, wasn’t she? 

Joining her at the kitchen counter, Robin sat on a barstool and stole a bite of her omelet. One of the little things she’d forgotten about him. He was never able to stick to his own plate when it was just the two of them. He was always stealing from her. 

“How are you feeling?” he asked. 

She slowed her chewing, trying to delay giving him an answer. It was a loaded question he’d just asked. Setting down her fork, she shrugged her shoulders, searching for the right words to explain how she felt. 

“I feel...freer... lighter,” she whispered. Looking into his blue eyes she added, “Terrified.” 

He nodded, understandingly reaching for her hand. “It’s okay.” 

She let out a soft breath at his touch. This was good. She wanted more of this, more of him. She wanted to disappear into him and forget herself, if only for a little while. 

“Tell me about you,” she asked. “What is your life like?” 

A reluctant sound fell from his mouth and she could see in his eyes that he was nervous about opening up to her. 

“Please,” she urged him. “I want to hear it. I think I need to.” 

He sighed before shifting his body to face hers. “Well, for starters… I have a son now.” 

It's strange the way people come in and out of your life. Though she’d asked for it, hearing about Robin’s life after they parted ways shook her to her core. He’d been such an important part of her life for so long a part of her imagined that he’d stopped existing once she left his. That he’d stayed frozen in the state she left him in, never moving forward or advancing on his own. She couldn’t have been more wrong. 

Turns out, he’d lived a quite a life since their days together. 

Resting her chin in her hand, she listened to him speak about the trip he took to Italy after they broke up. The time he spent backpacking through Europe working in different kitchens to earn his keep. Coming back to the states and getting his first real cooking job working under a friend of his mother’s who owned a french restaurant. Meeting his future business partner in that very kitchen. Rising through the ranks, making his mark on the menu. Meeting a beautiful, brown-eyed customer who complimented his  _ Matelote.  _ Having a drink with that same customer, falling into bed with her and then into a relationship. Finally striking out on his own and renting a test kitchen with Sabine. Throwing everything he had into a catering business until there was nothing left for his relationship. Finding out that his fiance was pregnant, having a son with her. Realizing that it still wasn’t enough to make the relationship work. Moving into a one bedroom apartment and spending only three days a week with his child until he got the chance of a lifetime to cater a certain wedding in which he ran off with the bride. 

“Wow,” she breathed. “It sounds like a journey.” 

“Felt like one,” he replied, with a smile. “There’ve been a few ups and downs in the past four years but I don’t have a lot of regrets. I happy to be where I am, for the most part anyway.” 

“I’m glad.” She smiled, tearfully. “I’m glad you are where you are.” 

_ I wish I could’ve been with you for it all, _ she silently added. 

Breath hitching in her throat, she sighed. “Can I see a picture of your son?” 

“Sure.” 

She doesn’t know what she expected. Certainly not the breathtakingly adorable little boy in the pictures on his phone. A little under two years old, he was the cutest thing she’d ever seen. Big brown eyes with black curls and a grin that showed off his tiny teeth, she softly gasped when she saw him. In the centers of his cheeks were dimples that matched his father’s. When she saw them her heart melted. 

“He’s beautiful,” she whispered. 

_ He could’ve been mine.  _ She banishes the thought from her head as soon as it appears. There are a million  _ “what if’s _ ” surrounding her today but that’s one she simply can’t carry. 

Taking back his phone, Robin asked. “What about you? What has your life been like?” 

_ Lonely _ , she wants to say. Instead, she hisses under her breath before admitting, “I won’t lie, it’s been a little rough.” 

She watches his face as she goes through everything that’s happened with her since the night they broke up. His eyes turn sympathetic when she tells him about how her father got sick with cancer. They beam with pride when she takes him through the day of her graduation from business school and being hired at her first job. His jaw clenches as she describes moving back in with her mother after her father’s death, trying to get a handle on the finances he’d left behind. Meeting Leo, thinking he was the solution and holding her tongue as she walked through life with her hands tied behind her back. She stops talking once she gets to the proposal. He already knows the rest. 

He reaches out to rest his hand on her knee. “It seems like a lot to go through on your own.” 

“It was,” she brokenly replied. “Everyday it felt like I was holding back a scream.” 

She thinks of him and the life he’d made while he was away from her, the adventures and friendships. She thinks of her own life. The lonely nights, the weight that pressed down on her shoulders day after day. 

Hating how pathetic she sounds, she asks him, “Did you miss me at all?” 

“Of course I missed you.” His answer firm, automatic as he removes his hand from her knee. Like he’d been waiting years for her to ask for it. “I missed you every day, even on the ones I tried to convince myself that I didn’t.” 

He stares at her, his eyes hard. “Did you miss me?” 

She pinches her brow, a little angry that he has the audacity to ask after all that she just told him. “What do you think?” she gritted out, eyes starting to burn with tears. “I missed you so much Robin. But you... you never even called.” 

“Because you left me!” he pointed out, raising his voice. “I screwed up, yes. I hid something, yes. But you’re the one who left!” 

“And do you remember how easy you made that for me?” A tear fell from her eye and she turned away, hastily wiping it from her cheek not wanting him to see it. “I waited Robin. I waited weeks for you to call or write or show up even for one second. You didn’t. I might’ve left but you’re the one who let me.” 

“That’s not fair,” he breathed, shaking his head. “You made it clear that night that you didn’t want anything to do with me anymore.” 

“Because I was mad!” she stressed. “I was mad because you lied and I told I couldn’t handle that. I could handle everything but lies, you knew that.” 

“And you knew that I hated disappointing you,” he replied, voice wavering. “And dropping out of school would’ve left you disappointed.” 

“Of course it did,” she cried, standing up from her stool. Pacing the floor of his kitchen, she ran her fingers through her hair, unable to believe that she was actually having this conversation. “We… we had a plan. I was supposed to graduate from business, you were supposed to graduate from law school. And then we were supposed to get married and start our lives together. That was the plan!” 

“Well maybe I didn’t like the plan!” He stood to his feet. “Maybe I didn’t want to become a lawyer. Wear a suit every single day and work for some faceless corporation until my soul dried up. Maybe the thought of that made me die inside.” 

She sniffed, still looking at him with anger in her eyes. “Maybe you should’ve told me that.” 

“Maybe you should’ve asked,” he whispered back. “I was miserable in law school but you never saw that. It was like you didn’t even want to. You were too busy focusing on 'the plan.'” 

She lets out a soft breath, shaking her head. 

“I didn’t come after you,” he softly admitted. “But you never came after me either and make no mistake… you were not the only one waiting.” 

Standing there in an argument that came four years too late, Regina felt something inside her break. She realized it was the illusion she’d built around herself in the wake of the wedding. She’d put herself, and Robin in this bubble where no one and nothing could ever touch or hurt them. Where nothing else existed or mattered outside the walls of his apartment. But that wasn’t real. What was real was his eighteen-month-old son. What was real was the mess she’d created for herself when she’d run out of her own wedding, a mess she’d have to clean up eventually. And the thing that was more real than anything else, was that they’d been here before. That they’d tried and failed in the past. Perhaps, trying again would be a fool’s errand. 

“I should go,” she whispered. 

His eyes widened. “What?” 

Shaking her head, she stepped away from him. “No this… this was insane. I mean, what do we think is going to happen here? Are we supposed to live happily ever after, forget how badly we screwed this up last time? Am I supposed to spend weekends with your son, are you gonna deal with my mother?” She ran her hands over her face, sighing into her palms. When she removed them she saw Robin, staring at her with disbelief in his eyes. Swallowing hard, she pressed on. “This idea of us… we should let it go before either of us gets hurt again.” 

Her voice cracked as she spoke, so did her heart. She thought leaving him was hard the first time around. The second time would be unbearable. But it would be for the best. At least that’s what she tried to tell herself as she turned for the door. 

“No…” 

Robin’s voice was small at first. Soft and tentative as he spoke up. It gained steamed as he walked and placed himself between her and the door. “No, losing you was hard enough the first time. I won’t do it again, not like this.” 

“Robin…” 

“No you said I made it too easy for you last time. Well this is me making it hard,” he replied. “If you want to walk out of that door and never see me again I will let you… but you have to answer three questions for me first.” He paused. “Do you regret leaving that wedding with me?” 

Letting out a shuddering breath, she shook her head. “No… I don’t.” 

Robin swallowed, nervous. “Do you want to be with me?” 

She hesitated before answering him, knowing what the truth was, unsure of speaking it allowed. Finally, she nodded, a tear running down her cheek. “Yes… I do.” 

Relief flooded into his eyes as her stared down at her. Reaching out to grab her trembling hands in his own, he asked. “Are you scared?” 

“Yes,” she softly hissed. “Robin, I am… petrified.” 

He nodded. “Good… so am I.” He forced out a shaky laugh before turning serious again. “The only thing that scares me more than trying again, is you walking out that door and never coming back. So, no, I don’t know how all of this is going to work. I don’t know how to handle all the problems and difficulties that are surely going to come when the sun rises. But I do know that I want to try. I want to be with you again, Regina Mills, and one chance to make it work is all I’m asking for.” 

His hands moved up to cup her face. “Just give me one chance… please?” 

Staring into his unchanged eyes, she feels her resolve fade away. Her fears haven’t changed. There are a million problems waiting for them outside his door and they’ll have to face every single one. It’ll be hard and frustrating and endless but in the center of all those difficulties is him. And she won’t walk away from him. Not again. 

Leaning forward she captures his lips in a kiss that he happily returns. It’s better than she remembered. 

The hair on his chin tickles her skin as he moves his lips against her, slipping his tongue into her mouth. Her hands reach up to grip his shoulders pulling him closer. She can feel his heart beating against her chest, matching the rhythm of hers. It feels new and familiar at the same time. 

Before she knows it her legs are wrapped around his waist and he’s carrying her from the kitchen to the bedroom, leaving kisses along her neck as he does so. With a mattress under her back, his hand move to lift her shirt, throwing it over the side of the bed, revealing her white strapless bra underneath. A small voice in her mind wonders if she looks different to him, if the years away have tampered his desire for her at all. He kisses her again, then whispers in her ear  _ you’re so beautiful. _

The voice is silenced. 

The rest of her clothes quickly disappear, as do his. She runs her hand along his body marveling at the little things that have changed and the things that have stayed the same. Dragging her fingers across his chest she notices how much fimer his stomach is, how stronger his arms feel now. Again she thinks, man not boy. But his touch still sizzles the underside of her skin. His hands still grip her in just the right way. And when she takes him inside of her, it feels more right than anything she’s ever felt before. 

It’s hard not to rush through this moment, to not let him take her hard and fast against the bed but she wants to savor this, savor him. It’s clear he feels the same. His strokes inside of her are long and deliberate, paired with kisses to her skin and sweet nothings in her ear. His hand grips onto the underside of her thigh, lifting her head so he can touch just the right spot inside of her, making her moan every time. Her breathing turns hot and heavy, building until she’s pulling him closer, clenching around him and crying out his name. He falls over the edge with her, his heart pounding in his chest as he cums. 

She stays wrapped in his arms for hours. They watch through the window as the sun rises over the skyline. It’s tomorrow. Her wedding day is over. Their future is just beginning. 

He pulls her closer, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck. “Are you ready for what comes next?” 

She softly sighs, lacing her fingers through his. “Yes… I am.” 


End file.
